 |
| Clockwise from top: SwaddleMe, SwaddleDesigns, Aden & Anais |
We've been swaddling Hunter since the day he was born. That's how they wrapped him up in the hospital, and it's what we wanted to do ever since we watched the video "Happiest Baby on the Block."
Although he busted out of the blanket the hospital staff used, when we used our Swaddle Designs Organic Ultimate Receiving Blanket, the blanket stayed securely in place. I think this is because it's much larger than most swaddle blankets and a true square shape. Another large, truly square swaddle blanket we received was the Aden & Anais Organic Cotton Muslin Swaddle. Unfortunately, Hunter was able to bust out of this blanket as well (though we still use it for a variety of purposes -- love that blanket for covering up, wiping up messes, or as a LARGE burp cloth).
For the first few months of Hunter's life, the Swaddle Designs blanket helped our little guy fall asleep and stay asleep at night (until he got hungry, of course). During the day for short naps, I liked using the SwaddleMe wrap, but he grew out of it pretty quickly. Then one day, around 11 weeks old, he started busting out of the receiving blanket. We freaked out! We tried the HALO Swaddle, but it did not bundle Hunter tightly enough to work. We also received the Miracle Blanket, and thankfully, with its straight-jacket design, we found a solution.
Now that Hunter is over four months old, I am starting to think that swaddling may be a blessing and a curse because eventually we'll have to wean him completely off of it, so we're starting to take baby steps toward that. I try to help him sleep at least one nap a day in a sleep sack and sans swaddle. At night he wears the Miracle Blanket with his feet out. When he doesn't startle himself awake so much during naps, then we'll try swaddling him with one arm out, and once he sleeps soundly like that for a while, we'll try transitioning off of the swaddle completely.
Because he still really needs both arms swaddled to fall asleep at night (the first stretch is his longest ever at around five hours now, which is HUGE for us), it makes me wonder how parents ever put their babies to sleep without swaddling. I know some people don't swaddle and I don't just mean babies who sleep on their tummies. Do some babies like Hunter just really NEED the swaddle, while other babies do fine and never need to be swaddled?
 |
| The Miracle Blanket |
Hi Amanda!
ReplyDeleteSome of your posts remind me so much of baby Martin! Like the one when you said you thought you would never have your baby sleep in bed with you, or this one about swaddling. Unfortunately we only found out that Martin needed to be swaddled when he was 1 month, so there was a lot of unnecessary crying going on during his first weeks. We used the Miracle Blanket and then the Woombie, which I found great because it allows movement in a similar way to what happens in the womb. Also, they have a convertible kind of swaddle, which made Martin's transition to a non-swaddle life very smooth. If we didn't live so far away I could lend you ours :-(
Samuel, on the other hand, never startled that much, so we tried swaddling him some times but we soon found out that he didn't need it.
It's true what they say, not all babies are alike! What works with one may not work for another. Sent you an e-mail ;)
Deleteoh man he is so stinkin cute! i want to hold him! (i hope that doesn't sound creepy)
ReplyDeletei have nooo idea about swaddling, like at all. i tried it a few times but didn't seem to make a difference. the one thing that made all the difference was letting him sleep on his stomach. i think he thought he was laying against me or something! now he just flips over right away and sleeps on his back - its so funny, all of these little things are so interesting to watch! like i'm amazed that i kind of taught him to high five today. and now i'm rambling. ok bye!